Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-07-08
ME SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Notes Ga the Lesson fer July 8
"The Infant Jesus"

1aCGsS Sl1 tue Lesson 1cf July D
"G'he Infant Jesus"
from the Chicago Standard. By Rev. j. n.
Coon.
The lesson is found in the first twelve verses
of the second chapter of Matthew. The time
was about b. c. 4. His birth was so much
! earlier than the date first fixed place-Beth-
lelem- Sec under Special Mention
! SPECIAL MENTION
Nl The gospel OF Matthew rs author.
Tbs Was Matthew, the publican, as all agree
fof account OF his call to be disciple
i'latt, tx, 9; Mark IL, IA; Luke ", q, Is. He
Is charaeters,tnlcaly modest in his personal
references. Seventeen Independent wit
nesses of the first four centuries attest its
sehuineness. (Schatf.)
~ It's PROPOSE Matthew wrote for the
Jews III Palestine. Therefore he deals
m M n, WITH o.d Testament prophecy, proving
OF God IN redemption, as found in tho his
tory or the jews, showing Jesus to CORE
spona IN nfe and character and claim, to the
MESSIAH OF the Old Testament.
l.. 9, Date Of its composition. This is not
known certainly, but II was probably near the
middle OF the first century. 1t is generally
admitted to be the first written of the four
gospels, though coming later than the Acts
and Paups epstes.
r ~ It's hey-word. According to W. I.
filled, in harmony With CHI. j., s.. It has also
s Deen ;, called the gospel of the kingdom"
| me key-word of Matthew's gospel is sAIes-
s s1a and may be briefly Analysed IS follows:
| % The Messlah's advent u-4); i2) the Mes
siahs klngly power C5-lG; % the Messiah's
Raoi l,t clam am a7-2S ~ the Messiah's sacri
Cssj" 4-"'' "No ~ Tue 'AeSs'ah ) triumph
o. IT'S logical order Matthew is more svs-
tematlc than the other evangelists arranging
things of the same kind in one place; as SER
miracles i'll chs. viii, tx.
(6) Us original language. This may have
been Hebrew, as many believe. But if so, the
original manuscript was lost It is known ta
have been written In Greek, which may have
boon {. translation from the Hebrew. somo
| think he wrote it in both the Greek and He-
| brew languages.
;, az It's SYMBOL Matthew's emblem is the
hon. In his gospel Christ is presented as the
hon OF the tribe of Judah; the root of David;
the shiloh; the king of the Jews; the son Of
David; the son of Abraham Matt l.: ~.
.. ~ Us out1ine and divisions. According
10, Smiths Bible Dictionary these are as
church chs So ne Events n9M a in hi iar .na
order, showing Christ as the worker of mir
acles (chs. viii, ky. T. The appointment of
The doubts and opposition excited by his &C
tlvlty in divers minds-in Johns disciples, in
sundry cities, in the Pharsees (chs XII, kill
o. series OF parallels on the nature of the
kingdom (ch xiii( {. The effects of his
ministry on his countrymen, on Herod, the
people of Gcnnesaret, scribes and Pharsees,
and on muititudes whom he feeds (chs. xiii,
5S; xvi, lg. $. Revelation to his disciples Of
Events of a journey to Jerusalem Chs XIX,
XXX. 10 Entrance into Jerusalem, resistance
to him there, and denunciation of the Phari-
secs se, Chs xxi. -xxiii;l IL. Last discourses
(chs. xiv, xxv.>. y. Passion and resurrec-
tion lchs XVI. -xxvii.).
wig Jour gospels. There were four Cos
pels because Jesus was to be commended to
TOUR races, or classes, or men, or to four
phases. Of human thought-the Jewish, Ro-
man, Greek, and Christian. Had not these
exhausted the classes to be reached, there
| would doubtless have been more gospels. In
all ages the Jewish, Roman, and Greek ma
lures reappear among men, and in fact make
| up the world of natural men, while the
Christian nature and wants likewise remain
essentially the same Condensed from Gre
gory's "Why -Four Gospels "
| D Ge1 .; hints to tie study et NattAew. I.
| Read the whole book at one sitting, and get
comprehensive view of it 1t can be done in
less than two hours. 2. Read it again, care
fully noting the references to the Old
~ testament tame There are nearly one hundred
acquainted with Matthew himself s1his
book we call the Gospel of Matthew is u real
book written by real man, and the more you
know of the man the better you will enjoy
and understand the book Take your con-
ccordance and look up every verse where
Matthew is uentioned study them till each
verse tells you some incident in his life or
trait in his character Find out what the
Bible dictionary says about him, and don't be
satisfied till you have present to your thought
an idea OF Matthew's personality which shall
always lie back of his words, giving them
reality and force as you read them. Z"
Eethlc1tem Bethlehem, the birthplace of
Christ a small town obout ujy mill
south OF Jerusalem The word sBethe-
hem" denotes shouse of bread perhaps
given. to the place on account of its great
fertility II was also called Ephrata, a word
IS: 10; Ruth 4: II; Ps. 1872: G). 1t was called
the city of David duke 2: 49, because it was
the city of his nativity Il Sam: Is: !, 1s. It
was called Bethlehem Of Judea, to distin-
Galiiee Josh 10: 49, The soil Of Bethle-
hem was noted for its fertility. Ancient
travellers frequently spoke of its productions.
The town is situated on an eminence, in tho
tans about two hundred houses, inhabited
chiefly by Christians and Mohammedans VINO
live together in peace. About two hundred
PAGES east of Bethlehem the place is still
SHOWN where our Savior IS supposed to have
been born There Is u church and convent
there; and beneath the church subterranean
chapel, which is lighted by thirty-two lamps,
which IS said to be the place where was the
otuo1o IL WHICH Jesus WAS DOfu. tCOOk'S
Comp. QUARTERLY
State Of the scorla at the birth of Christ
Rome, the acknowledged mistress Of the
world, under the potent scepter of Augustus;
Greece, subject to Rome, yet the center Of
culture and art; Herod the Great is king of
Judea; Great Britain has been under Roman
rule for fifty years; both Greek letters and
Roman arms have been preparing for this
greatest event in the worlds history
SEED-ThUTHS AND GERAI-THOUGHTs.
l. Jerusalem is the center and source of all
highest wisdom w. y.
2. The Bible Is our star to guide and en-
tighten ". p.
5. The power Of the right-though it be but
a babe ". 3.
4. How many shave seen" proofs that the
gospel is worthy, and yet delay to come
". 2)
5. If you would learn about Christianity and
the gospel, apply to Christians ". ~.
6. We should not only accept the record of
the Bible, but the Savior of the Bible ". s..
Z. Fultllment OF prophecy an unans werable
argument for Christianity ". g.
S. Gods plan includes all men and places
and things w. g.
9. Interest in right things may be from
wrong motives and for base purposes ". y.